Railway signaling apparatus



0a. 13, 1942. v H s, YOUNG 2,298,815

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed Oct/20, 1941 fzvm'zvroa. 29. 2. HenPyd Yuzzg. I B1 Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES i TENT OFFICE- RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS Application October 20, 1941, Serial No. 415,744

3 Claims.

My invention relates to railway signaling apparatus, and it has particular reference to the organization of such apparatus into novel and improved railway signaling systems of the class wherein a signal'is caused at times to be steadily energized to provide one indication, and at other times to be intermittently energized or flashed to provide a distinctively different indication.

Railway signaling systems of the above described class have been proposed heretofore for use in controlling diverging route and call-on movements over a switch. Ordinarily, both callon and diverging route movements are authorized by the same indication, usually by a caution aspect displayed by the lower unit or arm of a signal governing traffic over a switch. It has, however, been considered desirable to provide distinctively different indications to authorize callon and diverging route movements respectively, thereby to inform trainmen of the proposed route and to avoid the possibility that trainmen might accept a caution indication at a switch in the belief that a diverging route movement is authorized whereas in fact the indication might relate to'a call-on move. Accordingly, it has been proposed to cause a signal to display a steady caution aspect when a diverging routemove is authorized, and to display a flashing caution aspect when a call-on move is authorized.

In such systems, it is essential that means be provided to insure against a failure of the apparatus causing a signal to display a steady caution indication when a flashing indication should be displayed. Itis, therefore, an object of my invention to provide signal systems of the class described and incorporating novel and improved means for checking the flashing indication of a signal to prevent a false steady illumination of such signal.

Another object is to provide novel and improved signal systems of the class described.

Th above-mentioned and other important objects and characteristic features which will become readily apparent from the following description, are attained in accordance with my invention by utilizing contact operating means for flashing the signal, and a checking relay to detect operation of the contact operating means. When the apparatus is conditioned to display a flashing indication, the checking relay is first fully energized. After the checking relay is picked up, energy is applied to the contact operating means to cause such means to operate and intermittently energize the signal, and also to intermittently interrupt th energization of the checking relay during each lighted interval of the signal.

I shall describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view representing a modified form of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and also embodying my invention. In each of the two views, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the referenc character T designates a section of railway track including a track switch W, and provided in the usual manner with a normally closed circuit track circuit which includes a track relay TR, as indicated conventionally in the drawing. Switch W has associated therewith a switch repeater relay WPR controlled by the position of switch W through the medium of circuit controlling contacts 5 and 6 operatively associated therewith, the arrangement being such that when switch W is in its normal position, as represented in the drawing, contacts 5 and 6 engage fixed contacts 1 and 8, respectively, and relay WPR is energized over an obvious circuit by current of 7 one relative polarity to cause its front contact l0 and its normal polar contact ll--l2 to be closed. When switch W is in its reverse position, contacts 5 and 6 engage fixed contacts 8 and 9, respectively, to reverse the polarity of current energizing relay WPR, as can readily be seen from an inspection of the drawing, and relay WPR is caused to shift its polar contact member II and close its reverse polar contact lll3.

Section T has associated therewith a signal 2 for governing trailic movements over switch W.

" Signal 2 comprises two arms or signal units a and c, which units may comprise any suitable type of signal, such as color light, position light, etc., but for the purposes of the present description it will be assumed that the units are of the searchlight signal type comprising a rotor I5 operated by a winding l6 and having associated therewith colored roundels, r, g and/or 1 one or the other of which roundels is moved into the path of a beam of light projected from an associated lamp IT. Each unit is arranged so that when its associated winding I6 is deenergized, a red roundel r is interposed in the path of the beam of light projected from its associated lamp, and the unit accordingly is caused to display a red aspect. When winding it of unit at is energized,

a green roundel g is caused to move into the path of light from the associated lamp I1 and unit 2a accordingly is caused to display a green aspect. When winding I6 of unit 20 is energized, a yellow roundel y is interposed in the path of light projected from its lamp I1 and as a result unit 20 is caused to display a yellow aspect.

The reference characters V with suitably distinguishing prefixes designate manually operable control levers which may, for example, be levers of an interlocking machine positioned in a control or interlocking tower. Each lever normally occupies a normal position N, as indicated in the drawing, and is operable to a reverse position R. Operatively associated with each lever are circuit controller contacts which are selectively closed in accordance with the position of the associated lever, and each of such contacts bears a reference character N or R to indicate the position of its associated lever in which such contact is closed. For example, contact 26 of lever 2V bears a reference character R to indicate that such contact is closed when lever 2V is in its reverse position R, while contact 2| of lever IV bears a reference character N to indicate that contact 2I is closed when its associated lever is in its normal position N.

Signal 2 is controlled in the usual manner by levers V, the position of switch W, and traffic conditions in section T. Both units are normally deenergized and hence are caused to display their respective red aspects, but when section T is unoccupied and switch W is in its normal position, unit 2a may be caused to display its green aspect by the operator reversing lever 2V to complete a circuit which may be traced from one terminal B of a suitable source of current, such as a battery not shown but having its opposite terminals designated by the reference characters B and C, through contact 20 of lever 2V, front contact I and normal polar contact II--I2 of relay WPR, contact 2| of lever IV, front contact 22 of relay TR and winding I6 of unit 2a to terminal C. Roundel g of unit 2a accordingly is interposed in the path of light projected from lamp H, which lamp is steadily energized over an obvious circuit. When switch W is in its reverse position, lever IV is in its reverse position R, and section T is unoccupied, unit may be caused to display a steady yellow aspect by the operator reversing lever 2V to complete a circuit extending from terminal B through contact 20 of lever 2V, front contact I0 and reverse polar contact II|3 of relay WPR, contact 23 of lever IV, front contact 24 of relay TR, back contact 25 of a relay COR, to be referred to hereinafter, and winding I6 of unit 20 to terminal 0. Rondel y of unit 20 accordingly is interposed in the path of light from its associated lamp, which lamp is at this time steadily energized over an obvious circuit including back contact 26 of relay COR.

A call-on or checking relay, designated by the reference character COR, and suitable contact operating means provided with circuit controlling contacts which are periodically opened and closed, are also provided and cooperate to cause unit 20 at times to display a flashing yellow aspect. The contact operating means, as here shown, comprises a flasher relay FR having two windings 28 and 29 for reversibly operating an armature 30 which is biased, as by a weight 3i, to assume one extreme position when windings 28 and 29 are deenergized. Operatively associated with armature 30 are a plurality of circuit controlling contact members which engage fixed contact members in one position or the other of armature 39. When armature 30 of relay FR is in its biased one extreme position, contact member 32 engages member 33, and contact member 36 engages member 3'! to provide an obvious shunt path around winding 29 so that when energy is applied to relay FR, winding 28 is energized to cause armature 30 to operate to its other extreme position wherein contact member 34 engages contact 35, and contact member 36 engages contact 38 to complete an obvious shunt path around winding 28, whereupon winding 29 becomes energized to attract armature 30 and cause it to operate back to its one extreme position. The parts of relay FR are proportioned in such manner that when energy is applied to its windings, armature 3B is caused to operate between its two extreme positions at a rate of, say, 30 times a minute.

Relay FR is energized only after relay COR is energized to close its front contact 40 and thereby complete an obvious circuit including a source of current, front contact 40 of relay COR and the windings of relay FR. Relay COR is energized over a circuit which includes contact 3233 of relay FR, closed in the one or biased extreme position of the armature of relay FR, and which circuit extends from terminal B through contact 20 of lever 2V, front contact I0 and normal polar contact II-I2 of relay WPR, contact M of lever IV, contact 42 of call-on push button COPB, contact 3332 of relay FR and the winding of relay COR to terminal 0. Relay COR accordingly must be picked up over its previously traced circuit prior to energy being applied to relay FR to cause it to operate and intermittently open and close its contact 32-33 to intermittently deenergize relay COR. Relay COR is provided with slow release characteristics selected to maintain the relay energized during the intervals that contact 32-33 of relay FR is open, hence once relay COR is picked up while relay FR is not operating, relay COR is maintained picked up due to energy intermittently supplied to its windings during the intervals that contact 32-33 of relay FR. is closed.

When switch W and lever IV are in their respective reverse positions, an alternate path is 1. provided in the just traced circuit of relay COR,

which path extends from front contact III through reverse polar contact III3 of relay WPR and contact 43 of lever IV to contact 42 of push button COPB.

Push button COPB, as represented in the drawing, is of the stick type arranged to remain in its last operated position, hence when contact 42 of push button COPB is closed, it remains closed to condition relay COR to be energized over its previously traced circuit as long as lever 2V is in its reverse position. If, however, a non-stick type of push button is utilized, as indicated in Fig. 2, then relay COR may be provided with a stick circuit, shown in Fig. 2, which circuit includes its own front contact 34 connected around contact 42 of push button COPBI and which stick circuit conditions relay COR to be energized as long as lever 2V is in its reverse position. It follows that although contact $2 of push button COPBI may be released to open the previously traced pick-up circuit of relay COR in Fig. 2, such relay remains energized over its stick circuit path until such path is interrupted at contact 20 of lever 2V,

Relay COR, when energized, closes its front contact 25 to complete an obvious circuit for winding [6 of unit 20, whereupon that unit is caused to position its yellow roundel y in the path of light projected from the associated lamp I1. When relay COR is energized, relay FR is of course caused to operate and lamp I1 of unit 2c is intermittently energized at this time over a circuit extending from terminal B through contact 34-3'5 (when closed) of relay FR, front contact 26 of relay COR and the filament of lamp [1 to terminal C. It is thus apparent that when an operator actuates push button COPB to authorize a closing-in or call-on movement, the apparatus provides a flashing caution indication which is distinctively different from the steady caution indication caused to be displayed when a diverging route movement is authorized. In the event that the apparatus fails to operate properly when a flashing indication should be displayed, the arrangement is such as to prevent a steady caution aspect. For example, should relay FR fail to operate properly and stop with its contact 32-33 closed, relay COR is energized, but lamp H of unit 20 is deenergized and hence the unit exhibits a dark indication. On the other hand, if the relay stops with contact 3435 closed, then relay COR is deenergized and drops at the end of its slow release interval to interrupt, at its front contact 25, a previously traced circuit of winding iii of unit 2c, whereupon roundel r is interposed in the path of light from lamp H, which lamp is now steadily energized over back contact 26 of relay COR. It follows, therefore, that when the apparatus fails to operate properly to provide a flashing caution indication, unit 20 is then caused to display either a dark aspect or a lighted red aspect, either of which aspects under the rules of operation requires a train approaching the signal to be brought to a stop.

An advantage of the checking apparatus involving relay COR and embodying my invention is that the relay is fully energized and picked up prior to applying energy to the flashing relay FR, and relay COR is intermittently energized only after it once picks up to cause relay FR to operate. This arrangement permits the pick-up energy level in relay COR to be built up without interruption due to operation of relay FR, and after relay FR starts operation, enables relay COR to be held up by impulses of energy supplied when contact 32-33 of relay FR is closed and having a value selected so as to maintain the energy level in the relay above its release level.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of railway signaling apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a railway signal system of the class wherein a signal at times is steadily energized for providing one indication and is intermittently energized for providing a distinctively difierent indication, the combination with a signal, a checking relay, and a normally quiescent flasher relay of the type having its armature biased to one of its two extreme positions, of an energizing circuit for said checking relay completed through a contact of said flasher relay closed in the biased position of said armature, an energizing circuit for said flasher relay completed through a front cont-act of said checking relay, and a circuit for said signal including a contact of said flasher relay closed in the other of its said two extreme positions.

2. Im a railway signal system of the class wherein a signal at times is steadily energized for providing one indication and is intermittently energized for providing a distinctively different indication, the combination with a signal, a checking relay, and a normally inactive contact operating means having contacts closed in one or another of two different positions and biased to cause contacts in a given position to be closed when said means is inactive, of an energizing circuit for said checking relay including a contact of said contact operating means closed in its said one biased position, an energizing circuit for causing operation of said contact operating means and including a contact of said checking relay closed when said checking relay is energized, and a circuit for said signal including a contact of said contact operating means closed in the other position of said means.

3. A railway signal system according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the circuit for the signal also includes a contact of said checking relay closed when said checking relay is energized.

HENRY S. YOUNG. 

